


Ways John and Rodney started something: Borra

by Bead



Series: Previously Unpublished SGA Stories [4]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 19:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4535040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bead/pseuds/Bead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this one, Rodney's a bit more socially clueless than usual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ways John and Rodney started something: Borra

The feast ended about an hour before sunset, and the Borrans evidently subscribed to the Early Bird Special dinner plans and then went to bed. John kept shaking his head and blinking, feeling sure he was going to see a shrine to Shoney’s Big Boy any minute now. It was kinda like hanging out with a planet of retirees. 

He was hoping, desperately, that there would be no bingo. He could only imagine McKay’s screams. 

John made sure there were no predatory reasons that the Borrans rolled up the sidewalks at dusk and no religious reasons for them staying indoors until morning. 

Jepha, the Borran elder, assured them that they were used to night-wandering guests and assured them they were _not_ required to be up before sunrise to observe the harvest of the Borra orchids, which bloomed wild in the forest and only opened for a scant period of time when the Borran sun was directly overhead. Of course, they only bloomed for a few days and could only be harvested in bloom. You had to be fast and early to be a Borra orchid farmer. 

Teyla and Ronon had bid them a smiling and very firm goodnight and disappeared into a guest cottage several doors down. Rodney snorted, sounding a little bitter. John said nothing; they actually were very discreet. 

“Man, I don’t know if I could get used to going to bed so early. It’s still light out.” 

“I’m sure you have better company to walk into the sunset with than me, Colonel, or didn’t any of the village virgins throw themselves at your feet?” Rodney had bustled into their cottage and was, unsurprisingly, hauling out his computer to tinker with something. 

Sheppard remained silent, and seeming startled, Rodney looked up to see if he was in the room. The Colonel was leaning against the wall, hands in pockets, a genuine frown on his face.

“Why do you do that?” Sheppard asked softly. “You know I turned those girls down and you know I haven’t seen anyone in ages and you _know_ I wasn’t trying to pick up your sister and hello, I was trapped in that time dilation field and thought my team had abandoned me and I just wanted to go on a fucking walk.” 

Rodney was stunned by the onslaught and genuinely confused. “Why don’t you go, then?” 

“I guess I will. Guess it would be too much trouble to pry you away from your precious computer. Sure two will be very happy together.” In three long strides he was out the door. 

“What the – “ Rodney snapped his laptop shut, fumbled around for his shoes and followed hard on Sheppard’s heels, but John had long legs, a head start and a head of steam working for him and he wasn’t able to catch up until the pathway emptied out onto the beach. 

John was standing at the water’s edge throwing rocks or shells into the ocean, frustration visible in every line of his body. The sun, low in the sky, was about to serve up an absolutely gorgeous sunset, not that it mattered. 

“What was that? What the hell was that? Would you like to tell me why you suddenly went all snitty like a teenage girl and stomped off. I’m sure I can build you a door or something if you’d like to slam it.”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Sheppard surveyed the expanse of ocean. “Well, since you put it that way, Rodney, no. Forget I said anything.” He turned and trudged up the beach, kicking idly at the sand every few steps. His shoulders were slumped in a way Rodney didn’t like very much. 

“Look, you know I’m crappy at this stuff, Sheppard, cut me some slack,” Rodney said, following. “I guess I said something that offended you, and if I did, I apologize.” 

John shaking his head, stopped and turned around, hands now on his hips. “You _guess_ you said something? _If_ you did, you apologize? Geez, Rodney, that sounds real heartfelt.”

Rodney wrung his hands together briefly. “Well, I’m going on the – he waved his hands at John’s general person – evidence I have; the snit, the rocks, the stomping off, the fact that you still seem pretty pissed. I don’t _know_.” 

Sheppard covered his face with his hands a moment and groaned long and loud. “Okay. Look,” he said, standing his ground. “Yes, if I’m having a snit and throwing rocks and walking away from you in the middle of a conversation, yes, I am mad.” 

“Okay, okay then, I know that. I’m really trying very hard.” 

John pinched the bridge of his nose. “Rodney,” he said wearily. 

“Well I am! If I didn’t care, I would have just kept working!” 

That got him raised eyebrows. “Yeah, you’re right about that.” 

“Exactly! So, uh, are we okay?” 

John’s face, which had begun to relax a little, shut right back down. “Sure, Rodney, we’re fine,” he sighed. 

“No, don’t _do_ that. We’re not. Because I did a thing.” 

“Okay. Yes.” John said this with exaggerated care, nodding. 

“And it was?” Rodney prompted. 

“You let me know when you figure it out, genius.” 

John started walking, and Rodney jogged a few steps to catch up to him. The sun was sinking into the ocean, and the sky was pretty incredible. 

“Actually,” Rodney ventured, “This is pretty nice.” 

“It is,” John replied agreeably. He strolled on a few paces as Rodney stopped dead in his tracks. He turned, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

“You wanted to go for a walk on the beach with _me_?” 

Sheppard looked him right in the eye, serious but smiling slightly. “Yeah, I did.” 

“Oh. And I…uh.” Blushing furiously, Rodney shoved his hands in his own pockets, and stared at the sand. “Um, I might have…no, wait.” He shook himself and looked at John, wary. “That sounds like a great idea.” 

“Well, all right then.” John rocked on his heels a little, looking relieved. “Helps if we walk,” he added, gesturing with his head. 

“Yes, yes, um.” Rodney quick-stepped toward John, who smiled lazily and pivoted on his heel as Rodney pulled along side him. A half-dozen steps later, he bumped shoulders with Rodney amiably. 

Rodney smiled, glad the growing darkness was hiding his blush, and bumped back. 

Stopping, John picked up a handful of pebbles and handed half to Rodney. They peacefully competed at skipping stones, calculated how they could toss their stones and have them collide at the third skip (they were able to do it with two) and watched the sun sink slowly. 

“Does the color of the star that’s setting affect the color of the sunset, or is that all the angle of refraction through the atmosphere?” John asked. 

Rodney stood with his mouth open a moment. “That is a very interesting question, Colonel. I’m not sure if there’s been any sort of study about that. I’ll…hmmm well,” 

They headed back to their cottage as Rodney gestured and talked and extrapolated about stars and wavelengths and color, growing more animated as he figured it out. John strolled next to him, smile growing wider. 

“What?” Rodney said, stopping. He felt a little paranoid. “Did I just geek out horribly?” 

“No,” John said quickly. “Well, I mean, yeah, but I like it.”

“You do,” Rodney replied, a little wondering, a little puzzled.

John shrugged. “We’ve been friends for years, Rodney, don’t think that would have gone as well if I didn’t enjoy listening to you explain stuff.” 

“Yes, well. I can be quite the raconteaur.” 

John snorted with amusement. 

“What?”

“Would you chill out, Rodney? Geez. I had a memory; it made me laugh.” 

“And?” 

“I used to do this thing when I was a kid….”

After a few seconds silence Rodney bumped him with his shoulder. “You stalled out on me.” 

“Hmmm? Oh. Uh, I did this thing that when I heard a word I didn’t know, I’d kind of make up the most outrageous definition for it I could, even if I had the context, think about what it sounded like and well… it made my mom laugh, mostly.” 

“And?” Rodney drawled. 

“Well, a raconteaur was a racoon who owned a restaurant.” 

“Not a dinosaur whose head is shaped like a tennis racket?” 

John turned his head to look down his nose at Rodney, “Dinosaurs aren't French, Dr. McKay.” 

Rodney cracked up, barking out a laugh at the welcoming stars, and when he turned to look at John again, there was a smile of a sort he’d never quite seen on John’s face. 

That look made something warm and rather nice bloom in Rodney’s chest, and made him want to lean towards it, press closer. There must have been an answering something in his own smile, because John very slowly and carefully reached out and slipped his hand into Rodney’s. 

“This okay?” 

Rodney’s voice came out in a squeak, so he turned his palm and laced his fingers with John’s, hoping that would be answer enough.


End file.
